Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Sew a set of Cottage Coasters...

When Mr E and I were chatting over breakfast the other day he put his coffee mug down on my new table runner and when he lifted it again to take another sip there was a round imprint left behind.

Thankfully there was no coffee stain, just an impression from the shape of the mug.

But I wondered to myself, what if next time it does leave a stain?

Then and there my plans for the day changed from baking and writing patterns to sketching up ideas for a set of drink coasters and making some before the following day's breakfast.

I still had some Tilda 'Cottage' scraps plus a good length of the same vintage flour sack fabric I'd used for my table runner, so after deciding on the design I began to sew.

If you'd like to make some too, just follow along!

You will require:

Four, 1½" x 5" lengths of floral fabric

Four, 4" x 5" lengths of solid cream fabric

Four, 4½" squares of fusible Pellon

Four, 5½" inch squares of backing fabric

Four, 3/4" hexagons made from floral fabric

Perle #12 thread for hand quilting

1. Sew a length of the floral fabric down the side of a piece of cream fabric to make a 5" square. Press the seams open.

2. Fuse a 4½" square of Pellon to the centre back of the 5" square.

3. Lay the front of the coaster onto the right side of your 5½" square of backing fabric. Pin the pieces together.

4. Sew the front and back together by sewing right beside the edge of the Pellon. Leave a 2½" opening along one side for turning out.

6. Trim the excess backing fabric away.

(make 4)

7. Turn the coaster right side out, push out the corners and press flat.

8. Ladder stitch the opening closed.

9. Make your hexies.

10. Hand quilt with running stitch 1/4" in from the edge of the cream section with the Perle #12 thread.

11. Carefully blind stitch (applique stitch) the hexie to the centre of the cream section, being careful to only catch the fabric/Pellon at the front and not stitch through the back.

12. Hand quilt around the hexie.

Make another three, or four, or five...however many you need.

Tie them up with string and add a gift tag if you're making these as a present.

Or tie them up with string and pop in the centre of your table just because (like me) you think they look cute that way!

Now to state the obvious.

Yes, I've used the same cream flour sack to make the coasters as I used in my table runner, the one which has indents left behind when Mr E rests his coffee mug on it.

And yes, if I was concerned he would one day leave a coffee stained indent on my cream flour sack table runner he could do the same to these cream coasters.

So WHY did I use more cream flour sack for the coasters and not a nice print fabric that would cover a multitude of coffee mug rings should they be left behind?

I don't really know.

Well, actually I do, my heart loves flour sack.

So there I was sewing these cute coasters in a wonderfully blissful state of mind, admiring the hand stitched hexies, the pop of floral against cream, the gentle rhythm of hand quilting...but totally forgetting the reason I made the coasters in the first place, to hide stains and save my table runner.

Oh well.

I don't care, they were such a joy to make that we'll use them until such a time as I need to make more.

And then I'll enjoy the process again...but perhaps not use cream flour sack.

Jenny, I love the coasters. I especially love your thought process that went into making them. I quess you could have made them out of something else but you would have missed the joy of making them from your favorite fabrics and the pleasure of using them every day. . they are so cute. It makes me happy to know that you and your hubby will have your coffee using them everyday. Some day when they are old and tired looking just remember all the cups of coffee you shared with each other. The fabric in our lives have memories sewed into them. With love, Lynn

LOL, I wondered about that, but on the other hand, you can always use coffee or tea to dye them if they get too stained, and they will still look great. This would be a quick gift to make. Another gift to link on my Quilt BOM Advent Calendar in December!

They are really beautiful Jenny. Thanks for sharing the tutorial. I know the fabric will mark quite easily but I am thinking the flour sack material will withstand lots of washing & if it needs a quick iron then thats okay too :-) Just beautiful !

So pretty!!! Yes, I too forget the purpose of coasters and mug rugs when I make them, lol - but then, when something is made to be used, it takes on a beauty of its own when it is used well and shows the stains and tatters....kind of like us as we age, lol.

They are lovely but I must admit that when I first looked at them I thought " what in the world was she thinking " . I'd have to use them wrong side up when there was a cup in sight and right side up between drinks just to look at and brighten my day.

These are totally adorable Jenny and would make a wonderful gift. Thank you for linking up at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I know you've just been featured, but these were so worthy of another shout out, so I'll be featuring them at tonight's party and pinning too.Hugs.Kerryanne